Clamp for guy wire cables



March 12, 1940. K COLE 2,193,269

CLAMP FOR GUY WIRE CABLES Filed Jan. 24, 1938 single piece of cast malleable metal.

Patented Mar. 12, 1940 UNITED l STATES PATENT OFFICE GLAMPFOR GUY Winn cactus Elmer K. Cole, CentraIia MQ Application January 24, 1938, Serial No. 1,186,569 4 Claims (01. 24 1sc) l The object of my invention is to provide a clamp for use on guy Wire cables or the like, of simple, durable and inexpensive construction and by means of which the looped end of a guy wire cable may be readily, quickly and easily clamped together and firmly held.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 showsa plan view of my improved clamp device having the looped portion of a guy wire cable inserted therein, thecable being shown as being extended through the eye of an earth anchor.

Figure 2 shows an end elevation of my improved clamp for guy wire cables, the longitudinally arranged sections of a guy wire cable loop being shown in section. M

Figure 3 shows an end elevation of the clamp body.

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of one of the wedges; and v Figure 5 shows a perspective view of the other Wedge.

The clamp body may be formed complete of a One of its longitudinally arranged sides is closed, the longitudinally arranged end II are closed, and the remaining longitudinally arranged side is open. On the inner surface of the ends II I have formed longitudinally arranged grooves l2,

and at one end of the body I have fixed a stop lug 53. One of the wedges I4, is provided on its longitudinally arranged outer surface with a groove l5, and its opposite surface is preferably formed with two longitudinally arranged ribs l 6; the remaining'wedge I7 is formed on its upper surface with a longitudinally arranged groove I8, and its inner surface is preferably smooth and flat at l9.

The earth anchor shown in Figure 1 is indicated by the numeral 20 and is provided with an eye 2! to receive the looped portion of a guy wire cable.

In practical use and assuming that a guy wire cable has been formed with'a loop on its end and this loop extended through the eye of an earth anchor, and assuming further that the guy wire cable has been stretched to the desired amount and thatit is desired to clamp the looped end thereof, when this has been done then my improved clamp body can be readily, quickly and easily applied to the looped portions of the cable which may be inserted through the open side of the cable body. When this has been done the wedge I 4 is placed in position through the open side with its groove 15 engaging the adjacent tudinally with a minimum amount portion of the cable, and the wide end of the wedge may be placed in engagement with the stop lug l3. Then the remaining wedge I! is inserted through both, as shown in Figure 1, and it may be driven downwardly into wedging engagement with the wedge M and into frictional engagement with the portion of the cable resting in its groove l8. When this has been done the cable loop will have been firmly and securely clamped. Qbviously, the clamp body may be readily, quickly and easily applied to the looped portion of the cable with the longitudinally arranged portions of the cable resting inthe grooves l2, and then the two edges may be readily, quickly and easily insertedthrough the open side of the clamp body and the wedge l1 driven firmly into wedge-locking contact with the Wedge l4 and the cable. The longitudinally arranged ribs l6 being in engagement with the smooth flat side l9 of the wedge 11 enables the wedge I! to be moved longi of friction so as to be driven easily into position.

I claim as my invention: 1. A cable clamp for connecting two cable por- ,tions and for automatically tightening the to receive and engage a cable at one side of the clamp, and the other shaped to receiveand engage a cable at the other side of the clamp, wedges engaging each other and tapered in opposite directions whereby the smaller end of one wedge is adjacent the larger end of the other wedge and whereby when strains or stresses are applied to the cables in opposite directions, one wedge will be moved by one of the cables in the direction toward its smaller end and the other wedge will be moved by the other cable in the opposite direction and toward its smaller end.

2. A cable clamp for connecting two cable portions and for automatically tightening the clamping action on both cables when strains or stresses are applied to both cables in opposite directions, comprising a clamp body member open at one side whereby it may receive two cable portions 5 which are under tension and arranged side by side, and two Wedges one to engage a cable at one side of the clamp, and the other being shaped to receive and engage a cable at the other side of the clamp, said wedges engaging each other and said 35 tapered in opposite directions whereby the smaller end of one wedge is adjacent the larger end of the other wedge and whereby when strains or stresses are applied to the cables in opposite directions, one wedge will be moved by one of the cables in the direction toward its smaller end and the other wedge will be moved by the other cable in the opposite direction and toward its smaller end, the inner side walls of the clamp body and the outer faces of the wedges being grooved to fittingly receive a cable.

3. A cable clamp for connecting two cable portions and for automatically tightening the clamping action on both cables when strains or stresses are applied to both cables in opposite directions, comprising a clamp body member open at one side whereby it may receive two cable portions which are under tension and arranged side by side, and two wedges one shaped to receive and engage a cable at one side of the clamp, and the other shaped to receive and engage a cable at the other side of the clamp, said wedges engaging each other and tapered in opposite directions whereby the smaller end of one wedge is adjacent the larger end of the other wedge and whereby when strains or stresses are applied to the cables in opposite directions, one wedge will be moved by one of the cables in the direction toward its smaller end and the other wedge will be moved by the other cable in the opposite direction and toward its smaller end, one of the wedges having longitudinal ribs to engage the other wedge to thereby minimize friction.

4. A cable clamp for connecting two cable portions and for automatically tightening the clamping action on both cables when strains and stresses are applied to both cables in opposite directions, comprising a clamp body member open at one side whereby it may receive two cable portions which are under tension and arranged side by side, and two wedges one shaped to receive and engage a cable at one side of the clamp, and the other shaped to receive and engage a cable at the other side of the clamp, said wedges engaging each other and tapered in opposite directions whereby the smaller end of one wedge is adjacent the larger end of the other wedge and whereby when strains or stresses are applied 7 to the cables in opposite directions, one wedge will be moved by one of the cables in the direction toward its smaller end and the other wedge will be moved by the other cable in the opposite direction and toward its smaller end, and a stop member at one end of the clamp body for limiting the movement of one of the wedges in the direction of its wider end.

ELMER K. COLE. 

